Georgia Walking
by mettedutch
Summary: Miles always appears to have more secrets. This one however, no one saw coming. The Matheson family will once again be tested as they discover more about each other, lie their way through situations, make mistakes to retrieve important belongings, and fight for freedom. This story follows episode 11.
1. Chapter 1

Georgia Walking

Georgia Walking chapter 1

She could see the snares set up to trigger the alarm for intruders. She had no problem noticing security guarding the perimeters and rooftops although they were supposed to be out of sight. And most of all, she had no trouble setting off the silent warning and having the barrel of multiple riffles pointed at her. "You better have a reason to be here," someone scuffed.

The next thing she knew she was dragged inside the walls of the old hospital. Wiping the smug smile of her face was something that didn't come easy to her but she tried her best to not look like she thought it was all a joke. Most eyes turned as the guard dragged her through the building. A girl, maybe twenty or so, locked eyes with the misfortunate prisoner. Partly forced, mostly thrown, she was placed in a chair in the middle of an old cell. Most likely used for mental patients, it held an odd smell and uncomfortable feeling. She had to admit it was getting sort of creepy as the doors were locked and she left to herself in the dark.

What felt like a couple of hours, judging by the sunlight through the small window, passed before the large metal door slid open again. An intimidating man stepped into the damp room. He carried a toolbox which probably contained objects meant to make an individual talk. There wasn't much desire to really find out though. "Basic questions. You can't just walk around places like these and expect to be welcomed like family," the man said. His voice was scruffy and filled with pure hatred. "Who send you?"

"I have been on my own for five years!" she couldn't completely cover the irony and entertainment in her tone. It didn't go unnoticed and a flat hand collided with her cheek. She could feel the sting in her bones and the small trickle of blood as the force had split her skin open slightly.

"This," the man reached for her cuffed hand, "didn't go undetected!" He lifted the sleeve of her leather jacket to reveal the Militia 'M' mark that stood permanently branded into her skin. "Maybe you would like to have it matched with a t for traitor as well missy."

The girl took a deep breath. "In the time that I was on my own, I was indeed branded by the Militia. But only because they caught me and forced me into a minor training camp. It's probably something you wouldn't know about because it happens around New York and you sit here in your bunker hiding from the real danger." That comment landed her another hit across the face. Her head whipped to the side and she thought about keeping the smartass answers for herself for a while. This might be a shit hole in comparison to the outdoor meadows and freedom she was used to but at least she wasn't the one killing anyone.

"Are you saying you ran away from the Militia army?" now surprised and perhaps interested in her accomplishment.

"Well I'm here aren't I," she let the words slip before realizing the double meaning it could have. Making a mental note she was no good during an interrogation, the pain of her flesh getting cut open filled her mind. She dared to look down only when the knife was out of her skin. In the palm of her hand stood a 'T' for traitor in fresh blood. "What was that for? I'm not with the Militia! I can prove it." The man hit her again.

He looked down at his innocent appearing victim. They had already stripped her off her backpack, sword and gun. She could see them lying in the corner of the room. _'Yes, leave the deadly weapon in the same room as your prisoner.'_ She thought to herself. The crocked smile that came so natural to her appeared again. Pain from the blows to her head and her hand, not forgetting about the random whips he let loose on her legs and arms with a thin rope began to cramp her muscles. "How would you like to do that?"

"Let me see someone. Miles," she replied with a staggering breath. The man huffed but looked almost more uncertain then before after she mentioned his name. He then took the benefit of the doubt, seeing he had actually beaten his target quite hard already, and undid the cuffs around her ankles. Her hands however stayed tied. She was lead through a few hallways and doors. Agonising muffles filling the damp air around them. With every step, the sunlight became clearer and the stuffy feeling left when she entered a large hall.

The man motioned her to stay put and for once she decided to listen. It wasn't like she was in the shape to run anyway. "Miles, the prisoner wants to prove she isn't with the Militia. Apparently you can help her with that," doubt was obvious in his tone.

All eyes turned to her. The hall was full of people practising hand to hand combat fighting. The man stood beside Miles who was looking over some sort of map and other sheets filled with plans. His facial hair needed some shaving as it was an ugly sort of scruff and his eyes bore the impression of being angry with the world and sleep deprived. He hung his shoulders and turned only when someone in the hall had spoken.

"You beat a teenage girl for information!" It was the girl who had looked at her when she was dragged in. The Captain gave her a sympathetic look as if telling her he was sorry she had to see it.

"I don't need anyone's permission to see him," the prisoner spoke from her dark spot. Weapons were dropped to the side of their bodies as most didn't believe she had spoken to him like that. The guard who had delivered the pathetic excuse for a Militia spy was about to object and possibly put her in her place when she continued. "Hi Dad."


	2. Chapter 2

Georgia Walking chapter 2

Utter silence fell in the old building. Not a breath was taken as all looked between Miles and the stranger. The pain was now unbearable and she let herself sink to the hard floor. With hands cuffed behind her, there was no defending herself. "Miles, you have a daughter?" the same girl asked confused. There was almost a hint of disappointment in her voice.

Miles rapidly began to move towards the girl who was kneeled for all to witness. He drew the sword that hung on his hip and let it dangle in front of her. "No, I had a daughter," his tone was nothing compared to what he stood for. Ruthless, bitterness, anger. They were all replaced with a sound of grieve, pain and hidden memories. He was close to having the girl hanging off the tip of his sword when a cry filled the tense air.

"Miles! Don't," a woman pleaded. She rushed to the girl's side. "Lucy, are you alright?" her voice trembled as she took the girl in her arms. Lucy responded with a whimper. Even if she tried to hide her pain, it was hard now that the truth had come out. What she had been looking for, for almost seven years, was now in her reach. The problem was that this person held a sword in front of her face without a single thought to keep her alive.

"No, Lucy is dead! She was murdered seven years ago! Lucy is dead!" Miles Matheson yelled. There were tears in his eyes as the words stuttered out. "How? Explain yourself quickly Rachel before I slid her throat," he barked at the woman on the floor.

Lucy sat on the edge of a futon. A feeling of her being so hopelessly lost and tired overwhelmed her. "Hey, are you alright?" a sweet voice came to her. It stayed silent for a while as Lucy took in the girl in the doorway. She knew who she was, but it felt so strange finally seeing her in flesh and blood. "You're Charlotte," it was a weak statement. A certain one nonetheless. The piercing blue eyes that they both possessed stared back at each other. The girl nodded with delight. Her wavy brown hair was a bit lighter than Lucy's but they could be sisters for all anyone knew. The family resembles was definitely there.

"I go by Charlie," she responded. From underneath the floppy pillow, Lucy took a leather bound book about the size of half a magazine. On it dangled a small lock. Before her cousin, she let a picture of her family fall out of it as she shook it slightly. She noticed the puzzled look on Charlie's face.

After a deep sigh, Lucy motioned to the centre of the weathered and quite aged photo. "My mother always loved photography. This was taken three days after I was born. Miles and your dad used to be so close." That was true. In the photo, they stood smiling and Ben had an arm slung over his brother's shoulders. Beside him stood a woman Charlie presumed was Lucy's mother. She held the bundle of purple blanket that contained the tiny baby they were celebrating. Beside Ben stood Rachel who had Danny on her arm. A four year old Charlie stood all smiles right in front of her dad and uncle. "This was one of the last days where I've see Miles happy, genuinely happy. The blackout happened when I was only two. When I turned four, Miles was barely around, and on my eighth birthday he decided it was best for me and my mother to walk away from us." Lucy remembered a time in which Miles became visibly distant. Charlie had to admit that she didn't remember seeing her uncle much. There would be the occasional phone call, but when she found him in Chicago a few months ago, she hadn't known who she was really looking for. All she had had was a name.

"We managed to walk to random cities. My mother was obsessed with photography and for a long time she was able to keep a dark room, having the supplies stock pilled for years. When we began to move around, I carried most of the life supplies like food and clothes. She took care of our Polaroid camera. Every once in a while she decided it was a special enough moment to take a precious picture and add it to the book. It lasted her for almost five years, until the day she died. I was almost twelve." Lucy wasn't paying much attention to the book in her hands. But Charlie could only imagine the pictures of her and her mother in places like the Yankees' stadium, Empire State Building, the White House, and the Library of Congress. From meadows and abandoned amusement parks to crumbling bridges and beautiful sunsets. When Lucy fell silent again, Charlie couldn't help but reach out to touch the brittle paper of the small photo. She hadn't seen anything like this in ages, and now her long lost cousin took care of it like it was normal but so valuable at the same time.

"After her mother died, she said she fought for herself for a while," Rachel tried to explain to a still angry Miles. He had stomped out the building for some much needed fresh air. His head couldn't rap itself around the fact that even though he hadn't attended his daughter's funeral, he knew it had happened; and now she was standing in the middle of this rebel base camp.

He stared out at the river banks when he answered, "How can a twelve year old fend for themselves, Rachel." It wasn't a question. It was a statement of his disbelieve.

His sister-in-law sat down beside him in the long grass. "She saw her mother get raped and murdered. She is also blood related to you, Miles."

"How do you know this?"

Rachel took a deep breath. "In the New York area, the Militia takes kids who are own their own and force them into minor training camps. There they are first branded, then trained to become soldiers. When you left Bas and the Militia behind, you pissed off a lot of people. Many of them knowing you had a daughter somewhere out there. So every now and then, they would force me to walk the line up of girls around her estimate age to pick out potential victims to pose as her dead look alike," her voice grim. She remembered the pleading looks on their faces. "At one point in time, I couldn't take it anymore and just picked someone." She waited for a response from him, but got none. She tried to lay a hand on his back but he shrugged it off.

"The only reason I choose someone that day, was because in the same line up, stood a girl that reminded me too much of Charlie. I recognized the eyes, the way she carried herself. It turned out that just a week earlier they had picked up Lucy, the real Lucy." Rachel turned and began to gaze into the setting sun. "She must have somehow recognized me because she almost made a step towards me as I walked by. That is what gave her away to me. The look I gave her was pure shattering."

Lucy set the book aside again. Her eyes locked on the 'T' scare that had finally stopped bleeding. "I knew the woman scanning the lines look familiar. And when my feet responded by almost reaching out to her, she gave me a look that I will never forget. That looked changed everything about me."

Charlie found her mother and uncle sitting outside. She heard her mother talking about the same story. "The look I gave her was pure shattering." Charlie cleared her throat to let them know she was there. They turned to her.

"That look made Lucy realize she had no real idea of what the world had become. The only thing she did know that admitting who she was and being with her family would get her killed. When she somehow escaped a few months later, she thought that being with ANY family would get her killed. She heard the stories being said about the famous Miles Matheson. What a traitor he was, the amount of bounty money that stood on his head. She was only thirteen and all by herself." Charlie sounded disgusted by her uncle. He knew she had a right to be.

Darkness would soon set in. "If I had known she was alive and alone, I would have gone looking for her."

"Would you really?"

A rumble in the bushes made them fall quiet immediately. Miles responded by once again reaching for his sword. Charlie loaded her crossbow. In the setting sun, a strange shadow formed on the forest ground. Two glowing eyes peered at the trio from the bushes not too far to their right. Charlie set aim for the perfect kill. She took a deep breath and waited for the animal to come out of hiding. "Please, wait," a voice said. Heads turned at the sound of the struggling words coming from the girl. The bruises and cuts had started to become dark around the edges and now very noticeable. She actually looked quite terrible and Charlie was surprised she had made it outside without being totally exhausted.

"It's a wolf, Lucy. Now step aside and let me shoot it before it bites your head off," Miles' voice rose with tension. He came a step closer to the animal. A blood thirsty growl escaped him. Lucy moved so that she stood between the loaded crossbow and the snarling beast. He was a colouration of dark and light browns with black mixed into it. With a pale area around his mouth, his clenched jaw looked even more fearsome. His grey eyes stared them down. "Lucy!" Miles snapped.

The wolf let out another growl, and crept towards the injured teen. "You have no idea what I've been through since the day you left. You have no right to tell me what to do. This here is the only reason I survived after my mother was murdered by Militia!" She yelled. All the strength left in her came out in a spam of hateful words. She could see Charlie's eyes widen as the words were almost a like a slap to the face. "After being on the run from the Militia army for a few days, I was starting to run out of food. I found this wolfdog stuck in a barbed wire fence. I rescued him and cared for it. Because saving something so helpless was the only thing I could think about doing. The day he could walk, he ran off. Of course I thought I was alone again. Everyone that I ever cared about left me anyways! It was nothing new to me. But a few hours later, he came back with two rabbits. Laid them out as an offering to me. Since I was twelve he has cared for me, fed me, and saved my ass from many people. He isn't a wolf, he is a trained wolf-dog hybrid and the closest thing I have to something I care about." She spat out the words.

Miles still hadn't lowered his weapon. Charlie and Rachel however could tell she wasn't lying as the wolfdog had stopped growling and sat beside her at the snap of her fingers. "You can shoot him, Miles. But know this; he is the only one that gave me everything you didn't!" With those words, Lucy walked off again. Before reaching the gate of the hospital, she turned to look at her father. There was a hint of hurt in his posture. Lucy could care less about how he felt or if her words had meant anything to him. "By the way, his name is Ripper." The mentioning of his name made his ears perk up the way domestics dog do all the time. Walking so closely beside her Rachel could see the strong bond that was developed between the pair.


	3. Chapter 3

Georgia Walking chapter 3

The next day passed without much interaction. Lucy spent most of the morning and afternoon in the forest surrounding the hospital. She couldn't use her crossbow as her right hand was sore but being left handed, she kept her hand lingering on her sword. The image of the dead soldier it had belonged to filled her mind. Her head filled with thoughts about the mess she made throughout her life. It hadn't always been her fault, but not all people that had met her eyes as the last had fully deserved their fate. Lucy had killed multiple people in cold blood. Whether it was for supplies or leaving them behind to fight a Militia soldier on their own. From her spot in the trees lining the guarded perimeter, she saw a group of men coming to the gate. They must be the rebels who went hunting because they are easily let in. Then one of them catches her eye. The bruises were dark but Lucy barely felt them as she jumped down from her branch and ran towards the back door she had exited from.

"Great work men," McGiore said. He was the leader of this rebel base and happy with the two deer and multiple rabbits, foxes and large birds the group had brought back. She could spot Rachel giving them a hand carrying some of the supplies inside. Charlie made a remark to him before heading in the same direction as Lucy. But Lucy reached their person of interest first.

She tapped him on the shoulder. Lucy was a couple inches shorter than the boy but it didn't matter much. She and Charlie were almost the same height and there was about four years between them. He turned. Instead of saying hi, he received a left hook straight to the face. He stumbled back being so off guard. People turned to see what had happened. Charlie reached for him as he wiped the small amount of blood from his lip. "Lucy!" Rachel yelled.

"Jason, are you alright? What the hell was that for?" Charlie exclaimed. She held onto Jason's arm as he stood upright again.

"It's okay," Jason said mostly to Charlie. "Seriously, it's alright. I deserved that one."

"Yah you did!" Lucy said jokingly. Jason separated himself from the still worried looking Charlie and took Lucy in his arms. He gave her a big hug before smiling down at the girl.

He laughed when he noticed the strange looks he was getting for hugging someone that had just a few seconds ago punched him in the face. "You look like shit," he said. Lucy gave him a smug smile and nodded.

"Your dad was worse," she mumbled. This comment would have gotten someone beat badly if it hadn't been Lucy saying it. Jason smiled again and had to agree. The tension in the air rose as Miles walked in. He facial features hardened by the seeing how close his daughter and the son of Tom Neville were.

People scattered to different places as dinner was to be provided. Some cleaned the animals, others cooked canned beans and potatoes from the garden, and a few were busy setting up enough plates and utensils for everyone. "You have definitely gotten better at laying a punch since that day," Jason remarked as he stuffed his mouth with deer. He had taken a seat on the edge of the long table and glanced at Lucy who sat across from him.

"A lot has happened since my days as a Militia soldier. How did you end up here? I mean, you always said you wanted to leave but what pulled you over the edge?" Lucy asked. All Jason had to do was turn and make quick eye contact with Charlie. Lucy smiled.

"She's pretty. Your taste in woman has at least improved."

After dinner, Lucy once again pulled herself away from the rest of the world. Ripper happily ran through the warm water. His tail wagged with delight in the late afternoon sun. Lucy laid on her back in the long grass and smooth sand on the river bank. Her jacket was lying beside her and she moved her arm under her head before closing her eyes.

"You're very vulnerable like that," a voice spoke. It lacked the sternness that was so normal for the tone it came with.

Lucy couldn't help but laugh lightly. Without moving or even opening her eyes she motioned her peace intruder to turn. "One more step and he'll be licking your bones clean," Lucy said. From the bushes two gleaming eyes stared Miles Matheson right down to the ground. "If you are here to tell me what to do, I'm not a child anymore, Miles." She sat up and waved Ripper to calm down.

Still keeping a close eye on the man standing over her, he went and started to follow his nose. "No, I just wanted to know how you found us," he said. Lucy could tell it concerned him that a seventeen year old could find the runaways.

"Well it wasn't easy, if that's what you want to know. And I wasn't even looking for you." Miles gave a mutual huff that made it clear he didn't understand. "The rebel camps are easy ways to get some food usually. However, I recognized Rachel and the harsh treatment was something of a clue. I took a risk and there you were," Lucy sounded uninterested in the conversation.

When Miles appeared to have nothing to say, Lucy began towards the hospital. Ripper jumped around her and gave her a stick to throw. She could hear Miles falling in step with her. It was that moment when all the emotions she had to bury for so long started to come up. She reached in her jacket pocket and pulled out the small photo of the family portrait from the album. "It's the last thing mom asked me to do. Give you this. Since the day you left, it's the one thing she was set on doing." Lucy handed him the photo. It was in yellowed and the corners were bend but he seemed to know exactly what it was.

He didn't reach for it though. Didn't take a hold of it. Didn't treasure it like it was the most precious thing he possessed. "Lucy, you should keep it. It's what Jane would have wanted," he explained.

Tears began to sting her eyes as she gave her father an unyielding and implausible gesture from the side. "Do you really think that, Miles?" she half yelled. His denial was pulling at her anger and mixing with the emotions of talking about her mother she could feel herself getting upset and slightly worked up. "She spend years… years, crying over you! She used to stare at your picture and pray for you to walk through the door. For some reason, which I never understood, she loved you till the day she died. I couldn't see it because you chose to walk away from us. Not taking our feelings or life into consideration at all. But mom, she was convinced she knew you would one day come back. She always said that it was in the eyes. And apparently the picture she carried was supposed to prove that. I never saw it." Lucy was now screaming at him.

Down her cheek rolled the first of many tears. Charlie and Rachel stood by the gate as Lucy and Miles approached. "Coming here was a mistake! Telling you I'm still here was a mistake as well. Believing my mother. And most of all, thinking that one day I would find the man in the pictures my mother treasured so much. But he's clearly dead. His eyes poisoned by greed, war, and all your faults!" She stormed into the building, leaving Rachel and Charlie to look at him with accusing expressions.

By the time she closed her eyes for the night, she had made her decision. Whatever the Mathesons would do, Lucy would still move on towards the Georgia border. Her mother always wanted to see the Georgia Federation and it had become a dream of Lucy's as well. Ripper jumped onto her bed and settled himself into the spaces between her feet. Early that morning she gathered her stuff and added a few supplies to her pack. Most of the bruises were well into the healing process and her hand would be good enough to hunt with. She preferred a sword anyway. Her mother's photo album was the last thing she secured in her backpack. Sneaking out wasn't too difficult and soon enough she left the hospital behind her. Ripper whined as he realized what she was doing. But Lucy ignored him and set the pace for a long day of walking.


	4. Chapter 4

Georgia Walking chapter 4

"Have you seen Lucy?" Charlie asked her mother after breakfast. She shook her head and a worried look spread over her face. "Miles, where are you going?" Charlie said as she noticed her uncle flinging his bag over his shoulder and securing his weapons to his belt. She and Rachel walked over to him. From behind, Charlie could feel Jason lingering in the background. She shot him a pleading glace.

"I'll come with you," he said. Miles looked at him, frustration obvious.

"Miles, how do you even know where she went. This is dangerous; we're still too close to Philly. It's too soon," Rachel tried.

For the first time, Miles showed concern of this degree. Since the day Charlie had come to his bar, he had made the most out of their situation and not paid too much attention to the consequences. This was the only way he could control his emotions when people needed him as a leader. "Rachel, I have no choice. Okay, so I was harsh on her. But she has to realise that this is hard for me. I never wanted to leave her and Jane alone. It wasn't a choice I made! Now I have to fix it. The Militia is on the hunt in this area and if they see she has the burn mark but isn't in uniform, then she will be questioned. And I'm pretty sure she has that god forsaken photo album with her," he spat at his sister-in-law.

"Yeah, she had it under her pillow the other day but it's not there anymore," Charlie said in thought.

Miles turned to his niece. "Was she wearing her necklace?" he sounded serious.

"I don't know. I can't remember, why?" Rachel interrupted.

Jason stepped forward again. "This isn't good Miles. She once already went through a lot of trouble to get it back, and it's the one thing captain Neville keeps close at all times. He's been waiting for her to return to get it back. Use her as your bait this time," he said. He remembered the way she had been able to sneak into the fault like room where all the minor soldiers in training had put their belongings on the first day. The problem was that she was caught getting out because of him. And captain Neville had made sure to get his opinion about that clear. It was what had landed Jason with the punch yesterday. "I don't know why it's that important, but all Neville knows is she'll do a lot of stupid shit to one day get it back," Jason added.

"It's a locket Lucy got with her initials in it when she was born, which holds a key for that photo album. She has worn that thing every single day of her life. It was supposed to help Lucy identify herself if she ever got lost," Miles spoke.

After about seven hours of continuous walking Lucy and Ripper finally reached the place she had been heading towards. She walked around the back and knocked on the door. An old man slowly opened it to a crack. "Yes?"

"I'm Lucy Kelly, I boarded my horse here a few days ago," she informed the man who owned the stables that were located on the far side of the property.

He gave her a strange look. "The young stallion?" he asked. Lucy nodded in response. "He's all ready in the box three. No charge, he was a delight," he said as Lucy began to search through her bag for money or something in value to trade. Lucy knew better. The horse she had stolen was indeed a good and easy going one. And the man appeared to be telling the truth. But something felt off to her. When she turned, the door was slammed shut quickly.

With easy steps she crept closer to the stables. Her instincts told her something was wrong, or at least out of place. The sun had been beating down on her all day and she stood sweating in her jeans, boots and t-shirt. The place where her backpack was slung over her back was damp and her palms sticky as well. Even Ripper, who could run alongside her as she rode Haven for hours, had damp fur from the sweat.

She saddled the stallion after quickly bruising him down and gathering some of her stuff. She secured her bag to the saddle and led him out of the stables. Lucy stopped dead in her tracks as her path was blocked by a man she actually feared. Her eyes immediately dropped to the ground. Ripper let out a deep throated growl. The dark skinned man stepped forward, ignoring the ferocious animal in front of him. "You better have some news for me. Bo sort of got sick while you were gone and General Monroe would be glad to help if he heard something about his beloved friend," Tom Neville spoke with a smug and arrogant tone.

"You son of a bitch!" Lucy spat.

"Now, now, no need for that sort of language Keira," he said with a stern voice. "Just tell me how far from here Miles Matheson is hiding out." He took hold of his M1911 pistol in his jacket and set the barrel on her head. It gave a click before he added, "And if I find you gave me any wrong information, I will find you and kill you. And Bo won't last a day without his mommy." The girl swallowed hard. She knew wasn't joking. The man was never able to show a soft side and had no problem getting around any obstacle that stood in his way. Whether that required a bribe, blackmail, or a clean shot to the head. She wasn't worth anything to him when she gave him the information he was looking for. With captain Neville's gun still trained on her head, she hoisted herself into the saddle. Making sure she was able to get away as fast as possible from the man who had disowned his only child, she looked towards the East.

"About forty klicks West. Just outside of Lancaster," she answered. Tom Neville was left behind in the dust as Haven's hooves hit the dirt road at a hard pace. He watched the teen ride off as he began to wander about his own son. Mostly if he would be there. Whose side he would really be on. And how angry that traitor would be if he killed the Matheson girl. Captain Neville stared at the leaving trio for a while and turned when one of his soldiers announced they were setting off as well. His harsh features returned as he stuffed his pistol in its holster. As him and his men moved on towards Lancaster, the girl was heading East. She was heading straight for Philadelphia.

**[[ Thanks to everyone who's still reading! I really like this story and have a lot of awesome ideas coming. I'll try to update as fast as I can. I love reading reviews so thank you for taking the time to do that. ]] **


	5. Chapter 5

Georgia Waling chapter 5

**[[ This is all from Miles' perspective so I hope you like it. Please take the time to write even a short review so I know if people still like it or not. It also means a lot already that many of you read it. Enjoy the chapter. ]]**

I hadn't been able to talk any of them out of it. Charlie I'd expected. She had been determined to do something since the day she asked for me in Chicago. Ever since that day, she has done things I never wanted her to do. Then again, this world has become something of a place of murder. The death of hope, of freedom and loved ones is all around. That is the truth no one can escape, no matter how hard they try. I look over a see her sound asleep. There used to be a time where I didn't care if my family died. I had no real family to care about. Now the steady breaths coming from my niece are comforting. There have been too many moments where I was sure I would never hear them again.

On the opposite side of the small fire lies Aaron. Of course. He doesn't have much to get back to. Sometimes I feel sorry for him. I recognized him from ads about Google and other nerd stuff and I'm sure he would have been a high standing individual a long time ago. But without the lights, he is nothing. Rachel turns restlessly in her sleep. She had a knife clutched in her hand for a moment before letting go of it again. There are so many unspoken things between us that I have a hard time even looking at her. All I want to do is put the past behind me. This whole journey isn't helping but having the marry Matheson gang tagging along makes it just a bit worse. My mind longs to be put out of its misery with a strong bottle of vodka. That and getting Jason possibly killed would make me feel better. He had first watch and is now asleep like everyone else. His features are tense nonetheless and I know I sleep with the same anxious thoughts.

From the corner of my eyes I can see Charlie turn his way. She's still asleep as her head falls on Jason's chest. If he hadn't tricked his father into telling us what Monroe wanted for the diamonds, I would have gladly kicked him to the curb. But with extensive military training and a wide knowledge of both the Militia and Philly itself, he is sort of useful. And Charlie would never forgive me. She looks at him in the way I try not to look at Nora.

Nora. The last member of our random bunch of misfits. Curled into a ball by my side, I push a strand of lose hair out of her face as she softly raises and falls with her even breaths. The one who knows me better than I do. She the only reason I'm still here. The main reason I ever started fighting in the first place. Things were complicated but one day we would work it out. Somehow we always seemed to fall into the right place.

The light of the fire and full moon reminds me of one of the last perfect nights I remember. My mind falls into the memory of just over nine years ago.

**[Flashback]**

The stars are out and the cold winter air causes me to stuff my hands in my coat pockets. Beside me walks Lucy. I remember it will be her eighth birthday soon. We walk down the gravel path. The community was well on track and a perfect place to raise a family. Lucy's eyes are wide as she stares at the pictures she's holding. "Who is that?" she asked looking up at me. I can't help but smile at her. She is almost a perfect copy of my side of the family. Her finger points to a girl sitting on the shoulders of her dad.

"That's your cousin Charlotte and your uncle Ben," I reply.

She offers the picture a smile and then her face drops. "When are you leaving again?"

I'm not surprised by the question as I'm barely home these days. The Militia has me tied down and I know full well that I spend more time with Bass than with my child. Guilt rises in me. From a distance I see the faint candle light through the windows. My thoughts fail to make up a good excuse to not have to answer the question. Then again, Lucy sees through mine almost every time.

"Dad, you know what is kind of funny?" From the corner of my eye I see her stuffing the picture of the lid up Golden Gate Bridge in her pocket together with the rest of the stack. She continues when she sees me giving her a questioning look. "Kids, who were born after the blackout or don't remember the lights, see so much beauty in the world. But adults who know the potentials of this world are only destroying the small hope we have left in the dark." My seven year old daughter looks at me as if I should get on that problem immediately. I look at her with slight disbelieve by her words.

Clearing my throat doesn't help get rid of the lump in my throat. "Lucy, is that what you occupy yourself with these days? Trying to figure out the nature of mankind?" She shoots me a glare from the side as I laugh at her slightly. "Seriously Kiddo, keep your head in the game. But remember," I begin to say when she cuts me off. "One game at a time. Tennis and basketball don't go together no matter how much you want it too," she finished. Lucy rolls her eyes as she knows the saying by heart. I have to admit that I use it way to often and I don't even remember where it had once come from. It doesn't make much sense anyway. As it turns darker out, we begin on our way back to the house. When we get back, she slowly makes her up the stairs. Before she reaches the top, she turns and looks at me.

Her eyes are somewhat watery and her expression is anything if not sad and angry. "I know you're leaving soon. I also know neither me nor mom can change your mind. Bye Miles," she said with hung shoulders.

**[Present]**

Only seven years old and it was the first time she called me by my first name, and the last time she ever called me Dad until two days ago. Not that she really meant it that time. The crackling of the fire pulls me back to the star filled night in the presence. I remember Rachel saying she changed during training. However, for some reason, I always knew I had lost my daughter that late December evening. I feel Nora move. "She's always been a mystery, Miles," she whispered. Her eyes were partly open while she rubs some of the sleep out of them. I nod in agreement but say nothing. Nora adjusts to the hard ground and falls asleep again in minutes. I softly plant a kiss just above her temple.

From my pocket I pull the small photograph Lucy had pinned above her vacant bed before she had left. I still don't really know why she left so suddenly. Throughout the years, she was always able to take criticism and never backed down from a challenge. With her strong arguments and easy reasoning there was no way she would have disappeared so soon just because of our argument. There was more to it and the feeling of it possibly being Monroe worries me. Jane seems to stare me down. If she was still around, she would have gladly slapped me. I would have gladly let her. It wasn't like there would have ever been real hope for a normal family for the three of us anyway. Me and Jane had problems before the blackout and only decided to sort of stay together because Lucy was born. Since I was deep involved with the Militia, I was barely home. And we both knew what things went on within the walls of the Monroe Republic because of me and Bass. We used to fight, scream at each other, and leave the house just to find some cheap alcohol to drown the sorrows of our falling world. The day I walked out on her, was the day I decided to walk out on everything. Jane was left to care for Lucy and I knew she wold try to get back to Georgia, where she was raised. So I let her. It was followed by leaving the Militia and going into hiding in Chicago.

A chuckle escaped me as I know how stupid all my decisions had been. Lucy had blamed me for many things over those years. Most of them were true. Others she didn't understand. _"Why would you so this to her when Mom has always been there for you!" _ she used to yell at me. I remember trying to explain that there was no love to save. That we had simply fallen into it years ago; and just as simply fallen out of it. Luckily, Jane had known that. She knew I cared, just not enough to fight for it anymore. I did what I did best, and walked away. Within that time I had met Nora, but just like before, I broke every nice thing in my reach.

As the sky begins to get lighter with sun rise coming close, my thoughts are so jumbled together that I try to stop thinking all together. Rachel and Nora are preparing a small breakfast and Aaron is packing up blankets and other random things. "Miles! Miles, you need to come see this," Charlie suddenly hisses from the bushes. I crawl closer as she motions to me to stay down. I peer through the thick greenery and see what she's so frenetic about.

I calm down slightly as I see Jason plop down beside Charlie but turn to him with a sharp look anyway. "You better know nothing of this." He immediately shakes his head. He looks just as surprised to see his father as I am.

Tom Neville leads a group of twenty-four men along a path which lies about half a mile away from our camp. "Do you think they are heading for the rebel camp knowing they're going to find them there?" Charlie asks carefully like she doesn't want to upset someone. I realize she does it for my sake. I know her mind has also thought of the same thing that occurred to me. Lucy might be blood related to me; a scum bag with too many secrets. However, I would have never thought about her as someone who would sell out innocent people to the Militia. She and Charlie are too much alike in that way. With doubt I turn back to the rest.

"We need to get moving," I say angrier than I meant. Aaron shoots me a questioning look. I ignore it as I grab my bag and set off in the opposite direction as Neville. Supplies are quickly scrapped of the ground and stuffed into bags. The sound of multiple careful footsteps follows. Frustration and disbelieve mix once again. My hand idles close to my sword, ready to take down anyone who sets foot out of the bushes. Nora bares concern on her face but I don't care.

It seems I'm not the only one with secrets. I'm not the only one good at lying and deception. As I set a fast pace which is mostly fueled by resentment towards the accusations in my head. The girl I used to know, who always worried about the good in the world not being good enough, had possibly become her own worst nightmare. All I wanted to do was find out why. I need to see if I had lost that girl forever. I was going to make sure to get my Lucy back. No matter how hard or how impossible Rachel might claim it to be. How much danger I was putting everyone in. That last December night, Lucy had stopped me from making a few very bad mistakes. Even though it had cost me a lot, I had taken risky actions to make sure no one had to endure the consequences. In the process, those actions had caused me to lose people that were important to me. I could feel that Lucy had now lost herself as well. I would get her back, because I owed her that much


	6. Chapter 6

Georgia Waling chapter 6

**[[ This is all from Lucy's perspective s. Sorry it's later than usual. Enjoy the chapter ]]**

Not that I'm not used to sleeping on the ground, but it feels harder after two nights on a bed. Throughout the day, I ride for two hours at a time, letting Haven take a breather every once in a while. After about five hours my legs are cramping. I let Haven and Ripper cool off in a nearby river while I walk around lost in my thoughts.

McGiore seemed to have his base pretty figured out. He would make out alright. Or would he? Enormous guild rises as I may be responsible for the murder of many innocent people. "I'm such an idiot!" I yell at no one or anything in particular. I remember the looks I got when the guard brought me in. The sympathy on people's faces was obvious when Miles had burst out at me the other day. The concern for my safety shown by Rachel had saved my life. Charlie seemed to care about me the moment she saw how helpless I really was. I pray that they have already left. Whether that is to move away from Philly, or come after me, all I hope is that Neville won't have to face my father. I said awful things, but I don't regret them. My life has been hard and complicated. Never have I complained about it and I never will, but I can't deny it could have been better.

After another hour or so the Philadelphia gate came into sight. Only since recent, the guard on petrol asks for I.D. I hand him a small piece of paper with my name and a signature of General Monroe. Every citizen of Philly had been given the same sheet, all personally signed by the head of the Republic. "Keira Fletcher," I inform the guard. He takes a look at my sheet and waves for someone else to open the gate. I pull Ripper through as I see he shoots a longing look towards the outside world. The same feeling washes over me. But I know I have to do this.

A few streets later I walk passed the Justice Building. It hosts the offices of the most important men and woman in the Republic, including General Monroe and Captain Neville. Most of them live in their own homes but spend their time in the Justice Building; sometimes days at a time. Behind it stood the prison. A shudder runs up my spine by the thought of the ruthless place. I walk further along the cracked pavement with Ripper's leash tightly in my hand as I also hold onto Haven's reins. Only a couple streets down the road the large mansion rises.

They let me through the iron gate. My feet carry me along the gravel path to where the trail splits in two. After leaving Haven behind in the stables, I get escorted into the house. From the outside it looks just as warn down as the rest of the Republic. Nothing appears alive anymore. The colour has been drained out of the Monroe Republic in many places and Philadelphia is one of the best examples for the most part. However, the mansion is lively. The sweet smell of fresh flowers hangs in the air, expensive paintings line the walls and the windows open to bring in as much light as possible to the massive rooms. The maids don't turn their heads anymore. Guards barely pay attention to me. Me however, I take in everything. The weapons they carry, the time they go off for rotation, the routes they walk, the rooms they clean, and who looks dangerous and who doesn't.

"Keira," a woman pops her head out the room I was heading towards. She meets me in the hall on the second floor. I offer her a weak smile and follow when she begins in the direction of the place I'm already heading. The room is painted a light blue. Large windows line the walls, a queen sized bed takes over only a fraction of the room, and books and toys lay all over the place. "General Monroe has been kind to supply medicine. Bo is feeling much better these days," the woman says. She motions to the tiny bundle of blankets lying in the crib beside the bed. My heart sinks as I lift Bo out of his crib and notice how light he is.

"Is he eating enough?" I ask concerned. My eyes can't hide the pain and concern for the poor seven month old baby boy in my arms. Holding him tight, I sit down in the rocking chair by the window. The view spreads into the garden. Possibly the only really beautiful place in Philly that I call my own. As much my own as a prison. Water pours out of the fountain and the Mountain Laurel stands in full bloom. Soothing words are spoken while Bo plays with my stands of lose hair. I can't help but let the worries melt away as he cracks a smile.

A loud knock interrupts us after a while. Out of surprise, I let the bottle crash to the floor and Bo stares at me. His dark blue eyes look rather sad at the fact that his food was taken away from him so suddenly. I turn to see Riader standing in the doorway. "General Monroe is requesting your presence in the study downstairs," he says with a stern look.

"I've been back for less than an hour! Can't he wait?" I respond.

"My deepest concerns are for your safety if you choose to do so, Miss Fletcher. And I advise you to get down there right away."

A laugh escapes me. "Can you look after Bo?" The man offers his own deep chuckle as an answer. Leaving the room he yells for the nanny to come to my rescue. The same woman as before walks into the room and takes Bo from me. Mindlessly I walk into the grand study. It's a lot bigger than Monroe's office in the Justice Building and I'm always amazed by the amount of books that line the walls. There he sits, his feet on the desk, a whiskey bottle in hand. Turning around in his chair a smug smile appears. The genuine one he barely ever shows anyone now a days follows.

"Keira, my dear, how was your trip?" he asks with a slurred tone. I cross the room with large strides and let myself fall into the chair on the other side of the mahogany desk.

Hateful thoughts run through my mind. All possible murder weapons seem to scream out at me as the silence falls over the room and continues throughout the Monroe Mansion. "I just wanted to thank you for the medication you provided Bo," I say trying to sound carrying but almost indifferent at the same time. He looks between me and the bottle. Glass flies over the desk as he pushes the bottle towards me. I raise my eyebrow but take the invitation. A slight burning sensation runs down my throat. Sebastian gives a smile.

"You held to your word I hear, so I kept to mine. He'll be fully recovered by next week." He pauses. "Keira, I don't know what you're planning on doing but you're not leaving Philly yet." His eyes give the impression of suddenly turning dark. With that, his posture turns hard and stern.

"If that's all, please excuse me as I retrieve to the garden for a while," I respond. Sebastian doesn't object but gives me a weird look as I stand up and snatch the liquor bottle of the desk again. "You know where to find me," my words are fainting as I stroll out of the study without waiting to be formerly excused. Thoughts running wild as always, I don't pay much attention to where I'm walking. All I know is that the garden gives me time to think. Within the next hour, the liquor that was left runs dry. And as nightfall creates dark shadows on walls surrounding the garden I make my way upstairs. After thanking the nanny for putting Bo to sleep, I shut the door to my bedroom and change into one of many pyjamas. From just outside my door, the last thing I hear is a guard taking his place in front of it. A disgusting feeling sweeps through my body. Dreaming is the only thing that helps take my mind of the awful things I've done the past few days, the mistakes I've made throughout the years and the blood that stains my hands. But I know I'm not done yet. Nothing is done until Bo is safe and I never have to see the streets of Philly again. The moment my head falls on the pillow, my eyes shut and I fall asleep.

**[[ Hope you like the chapter. What do you all think of Lucy? How far should Miles go to save the daughter he wants back again so badly? Please let me know what you think. ]]**


	7. Chapter 7

_I hope you like this chapter. If you find it hard to follow, keep reading. It will all make sense in the end._

* * *

Georgia Walking chapter 7

**[[ This chapter starts at the end of chapter 5 where Jason and Miles are walking towards the barn. It is written in 3****rd**** person for the most part, only in the end it will change to Sebastian Monroe's perspective. ]]**

Charlie was done waiting and stepped out of the surrounding treeline and towards the house behind the barn. Miles spat a few curses her way and Jason couldn't help but laugh. She was the one person who didn't listen to Miles Matheson. Though Lucy was a different story. Without stopping to rethink her actions, Charlie knocked on the front door after stepping onto the weathered porch. It echoed throughout the house. "Coming, hold on," someone said with a brittle sort of tone.

The door slowly opened and a man with white hair ruffled everywhere, a black eye, and a trickle of blood running down the side of his face stood in the doorway. "Good afternoon," Charlie tried as an opener to start a short conversation. The man wasn't looking at her though. His eyes lingered in Miles and Jason's direction. "I was just wondering if you've seen a teenage girl either today or yesterday." It came out as a question more than anything. "Her name is Lucy," Charlie added. The man turned to face Charlie now that she had mentioned her name.

"She boarded her horse here for three weeks. Nice young stallion," he said deep in thought. "She said her name was Lucy Kelly." The man met Miles' eyes for a second.

Miles turned to Charlie first than the rest of the group as he filled in the quick information, "That's Jane's last name."

"However, the man asked for a Keira Fletcher, which she answered to as well." His eyes gave away the weakness and the possible sign of hardship within the past few years. "Captain Neville. If you are getting yourself involved in whatever important business those two have together, I advise you to stay away from Captain Neville." His voice was soft. The man's right hand stayed over his black eye for a mere second. Miles knew what had happened to him. But the reason for the rough interrogation about the girl now going by two names was still a mystery. Charlie could see the pain and confusion running through Miles' face as the realisation of Lucy possibly not being Lucy at all formed in his brain.

The next thing she knew he was off. With a fast pace he stormed into the opposite direction that they had come from. By now, Nora didn't have to tell her not to follow him. Maybe it would take a few minutes or maybe a couple hours. Everything was once again falling apart. Nora decided it was time to talk to Miles half an hour after him storming off. She walked in the direction he had disappeared to.

"Miles?" she said softly as she saw him sitting on a log in the middle of a clearing. He turned. Then let his head fall again, eyes to the dry dirt under his feet. "We don't know what is going on Miles. She could still be your Lucy," Nora tried to find the right words but knew she hadn't chosen the ones he wanted to hear.

"I haven't had my Lucy since she was seven. The girl who showed up, she just… I thought," his voice shook.

"I know, we all did," Nora sighed. She took a seat beside him and let her head fall on his tense shoulder. The muscles relaxed slowly.

Miles planted a kiss on top of her head. "I know this sounds crazy, but we have to get her back. If she had business with Neville she most likely went back to Philly to report. No matter if she is Lucy or not, she is still a child and probably forced or blackmailed into this. It used to happen all the time." Nora agreed as she remembered when the Militia was known for using kid spies as they get let in easily compared to adults. He stood and reached his hand out to Nora with a sheepish smile. "You think anyone else will join us?"

"I'm not too sure. But it's always worth a shot."

The group sat in a circle discussing their further plans. "I can't go back to Philadelphia. Too many people will recognize me immediately," Rachel said. "And I have something to take care of in the Plain's Nation." She and Aaron had made the plans to go to the Tower a while ago and everyone agreed it would be better for Rachel to stay away from Philly. Aaron was too involved not to go along and this way Rachel didn't have to travel along either.

"Where do you want me Miles?" Jason asked. No one had to question whether people would notice him but then again, he wasn't in uniform and knew Philly better than anyone, except maybe Miles. "Things have changed and I can work within the darker parts of the city," he suggested. Nora and Miles were already spoken for. The only one left to make a decision was Charlie. Her lose hair fell in front of her face and the sun fell softly around her.

Jason gave her an encouraging smile. "You have done too much for me to let you carry out such a stupid plan by yourself Miles." She spoke but Miles could tell she was uncertain. The goodbyes were said as the group split in two and went in different directions. Before Miles could follow the other three, Rachel took hold of his arm.

"Promise me you'll take care of her. She needs you more than you know. And for the girl, treat her like she is Lucy." She paused. "Take care of yourself," she said as she hugged her brother in law tightly. Miles fell behind slightly as Jason and Charlie walked together up ahead. He could feel Nora beside him. Giving him a sideways glance she spoke softly, "Are making a mistake. Caring about someone who most likely isn't who she said she was?"

Miles shook her head. "Even if her name is Keira, she said too many personal things. They are holding Lucy somewhere in Philly. Otherwise the girl wouldn't know any of this, or have the album. If Lucy was dead, she would have died with it." He sounded so sure about all of it that Nora had no choose but believe him.

**[****[ This is from Sebastian Monroe's perspective. It is the morning after he called Keira Fletcher into his office and she walked off with his bottle of alcohol. ]]**

Thought race through my head. I hate even setting foot in the prison, but having to do business there is usually a waste of my time. Most rebels are willing to die for their cause. I spit pity towards the lost actions they fight for. The United States of America is dead and so is everything people care about the moment they are put behind these bars. I walk along the dark hallways. The smell burns my nostrils and a torturous scream came once in a while. This had become too normal for me to care much though. I finally arrive in the room I've been heading towards.

It is the only interrogation room in the prison that still had its mirropane mirror intact. The guard at the door lets me in. There she sits. The girl who will bring me Miles Matheson. She has cuts all over the place and many bruises are fresh and swollen. Her lip is bloody and her head hangs on her chest as she recovers from her last blow. "James, leave her for a bit," I speak after opening the door. By the sound of my voice, she shoots up her head and her light eyes shoot daggers at me. The pain she is going through brings me slight joy. It seems like a direct path to hurting Miles. James leaves the room.

"Lucy, dear, your information has been greatly appreciated. Tom Neville should be rounding him up right about now. Maybe I'll let you see him, but only if you give me one last bit of information." I take a seat in the metal chair opposite of her. She spits out a mouth full of blood which lands just in front of my polished boots. I raise an eyebrow but she shrugs it off.

Lucy's eyes narrow for a moment. "Only if you let me talk to Keira," her voice masking the pain quite well.

It's been going like this for months and I have a feeling I'll lose the argument if I make a fuss about it. So a while later Keira walks through the door with Bo on her arm. "Sorry, the nanny is out," she informed me before stepping into the interrogation room. The moment the door closes, I know all they'll really talk about is whatever two teenage girls talk about. Lucy smiles and takes Bo on her arm. It's Keira's son but he has always been easy with the girl behind the bars. Before I turn back to head towards the Justice Building I give the three a last look.

There is no denying the incredible resemblance between the two girls. If I didn't know any better, I would assume they were twins. Though having known Miles and Jane, I know she only gave birth to one child. Lucy is a fraction shorter, has slightly lighter eyes and looks a lot more fragile than Keira. I remember the day when a guard on patrol stormed into my office and announced Lucy Matheson had escaped. It had been too easy to arrest her again as she was spotted sitting on a park bench holding a week old infant in her arms. And when entering the cell Lucy was supposed to be in, she was sitting in the corner. Locked up behind bars. Almost seven months ago I had stood in a room with Miles Matheson's daughter behind bars for the first time, not wanting to do me a favour. And beside me, her identical stranger with everything left to lose. Lucy already hated me, and throwing in an innocent girl finally gave me what I needed.

They would be seated opposite of each other, and instead of trying to beat the information about her dad out of Lucy, she was forced to watch them torture Keira. It seemed the Mathesons have a weak spot for the innocent and Lucy, although a stubborn, hard, and ruthless girl herself is no exception. I could see it fuel Lucy's hatred. Having her rot in a prison cell and Keira and Bo living in the mansion, though still as a prisoner. But she talked to Keira about her past, Miles, their relationship, and how to convince him to let her close enough for him to start caring.

Someone down the hall says my name and I can't help but let my thoughts run wild. My feet carry me out as I leave the girls behind. All I think about is seeing Miles' reaction when he finds out he cares about a traitor. He cares about lost causes just like the rebels. I vow to destroy him, and who he loves and cares about. Just as I have had everything ripped away from me, I'm personally going to make sure Miles Matheson is ruined. The image of him begging on his knees for his daughter's life drives me to walk faster. Nothing will stop me now. All of it has changed. Like he said himself, we aren't family. And soon he will have no family at all.


	8. Chapter 8

Georgia Walking chapter 8

**[[ This chapter is 3****rd**** person perspective. Sorry it's sort of a filling chapter but has a good Jason and Charlie moment so I hope you like it. ]]**

"What's the plan?" Jason asked form the top of the tree. "You need I.D. to into Philly these days." He sat on a branch overlooking the gate in front of them.

Charlie sat against the trunk underneath him and looked up. "You know Miles by now. There is no plan. We are going to barge in, kill a bunch of soldiers, increase the price on our heads, piss off Monroe a bit more, and perhaps get what we actually came for, " she said. Jason could read annoyance in her tone. He had no problem understanding the way she felt discouraged by the lack of order presented by her uncle. Military training was based around strategy, planning, and communication. The things Miles Matheson seemed to avoid at all cost

Jason let himself down from the tree and took a seat beside Charlie in the long grass. "How come Miles disregards all military tactics, but he was leading general of the Monroe Militia," it wasn't a question. They were just the thoughts he had accidently said out loud. His eyes met Charlie's as she turned to him.

"I don't know," she whispered in response. There were many memories and unsolved mysteries hidden deep within that one sentence. For so long, Charlie was responsible for Danny. She would have never second guessed crawling over broken glass for him. Now, now things were different. Everyone she cared about left her eventually. Her mother and Aaron had walked into the unknown without a second thought, just like she had done many weeks ago for Danny. But everything felt strange. There was so much she had done that would have frightened her before. The small things she vowed never to do in her entire life, she now did on a much larger scale. It was unavoidable; the Charlotte she wished to be was gone forever.

Sitting under the shade of that apple tree in the middle of the summer made her realize all the things she was never going to do. Faces of the people who had crumbled before her filled her mind. She couldn't help it anymore. Tears began to for and eventually rolled down her cheeks. Her head slowly fell on Jason's chest. He let his arm wrap around her shoulders and brought her closer. "The world isn't all full of poison you know," his voice was sweet. The rustle of the leaves in the summer breeze filled the air. Charlie was sure he could read her mind. It seemed he always knew how to find her. Maybe the old Charlotte wasn't gone, maybe she was just a little lost. Jason; perhaps he would be able to find her one day.

Nora and Miles returned from their expedition a while later. The tears had dried and while Jason was checking the weapons, Charlie was scribbling some stuff down on paper. "Well, we have I.D. cards," Miles met Charlie's eyes for an instant. "Don't ask me how."

"I won't. The guards still haven't changed yet," Jason said. "If I go in with Charlie, it would be certain two of us get within the walls. We'll stay close and if you don't get let in, we can fix that from the shadows." Miles scanned the plans his niece and Jason had drawn up. He waved Charlie aside.

He began shaking his head. The worry in his eyes growing by the second. "Monroe is within those walls. And we're not here for him. There is one thing we need, and she's in the most secure prison in this part of the Republic. And with Jason Neville!" he objected. Charlie was about to say something but her uncle wasn't finished yet. "How can I trust him? And how can I trust you to keep your head on straight."

"Miles, we need this. We have four people on this job and it's all been planned out. This is the one shot we have because Monroe probably thinks you're with Neville. One shot. Impossible, no. Stupid, yes. And for Jason… trust me to pick my own allies," she countered the man in front of her. He crossed his arms but had no intension to stoke the fire even more and decided to leave the argument by what it was.

They ate anything that didn't require a fire and rested until about two hours after nightfall. Miles gave Charlie a reassuring nod when she looked back at him hiding in the treeline. With her hand resting if her sword and her crossbow strung tightly to her back, she walked towards the gate. She stuck close to Jason's side as they approached the guard. "Little late to travel for you kids don't you think?" one of the guards remarked. Jason scuffed at him under his breath. Out of shock, Charlie took hold of his hand and squeezed it sternly. The guard laughed and gave Jason back the I.D. slips.

With a creek of the hinges the large door opened. "Hey, you might want to listen to your girly-friend more often. If she wasn't such a babe, I'd probably have beaten the crap out of you," the guard said before they walked into Philly. Charlie was thankful for the darkness of the night as blood rushed to her cheeks. They walked through the dark alleys until they were far enough and turned back. They stayed in ears range and waited for the guards to change.

"Jason!" Charlie hissed under her breath as she noticed a man in Militia uniform walking towards the pair. "Jason, he knows me. Shit, what now," she asked anxiously. Before she could react, Jason came towards her.

His lips crashed into hers. His arm wrapped around her waist and he pulled her close as he let himself fall against the brick wall behind him. Charlie hesitated but his lips were to soft and the kiss to passionate. She gave in and kissed him back as the officer came closer. Jason's fingers tangled in her hair while she leaned into him more. "Ratty teenagers!" the officer spat in their direction as he walked by. His footsteps echoed down the alley as he disappeared between the buildings. Jason held on a moment longer. Charlie offered him a shy smile. They remembered what they were supposed to do and peered around the corner. Nora and Miles were walking along the street and the guards had already turned back to the gate.

"Pay attention. It's your plan, follow it!" Miles exclaimed. Nora on the other hand raised an eyebrow at Charlie who responded by focusing her eyes ahead. "Well, let's get to the prison and get out of here." He stepped forwards like he owned the place. It occurred to Charlie that he once had. No matter how many secrets she unraveled about her uncle, there always seemed to be more. With Jason by her side and Miles leading them along the dark streets, her mind was set on one thing. Of course she had to control every fibre in her body not to go after Monroe. However, she knew they were outnumbered by to many, and there were more important things right now. To get the girl they were looking for and leave.


	9. Chapter 9

Georgia Walking chapter 9

**[[ The beginning of this chapter is in 3****rd**** person perspective. I'm not sure how many more chapters there will be exactly but it's getting towards the end. Sorry it took a while… ]]**

Keira had left the prison again that morning after talking to Lucy for a while. However, on request of General Monroe, she once again made her way to the large brick building. There was something different about it this time but Keira couldn't lay her finger on it. The message written on the paper in her hand was something she did not want to deliver. Monroe had a way of pinning the two girls against each other as a sick game, though it had never really worked. Looking out for each other was the only way they would perhaps both survive their imprisonment. Bo sat on her hip and seemed glad not to be spending the whole day with the nanny anymore. Ripper walked alongside Keira, on the leash. Before Keira had left the mansion, she had packed her backpack with the book, food, dog necessities, and a few clothes. She was always prepared and never left the room without it as it also contained diapers, a binky, a bottle and a bit of milk power with the one blanket that would help Bo sleep at night.

A smile appeared on her face as she could picture herself and Bo one day living far away from Philadelphia. Perhaps outside of the Republic if it was possible. The corridors were dark and only the occasional flames lid the way. Bo had been up when Sebastian had burst into her room. It might be almost twelve but Monroe didn't seem to mind sending the seventeen year old out into the darkness by herself to do his work for him. Fatigue suddenly washed over her and only because it was an automatic reaction did she keep walking. The guards that patrolled the prison hallways were some of Militia's best and anything they heard being said between the two was reported straight back to Monroe. "Hey Lucy," she said as the guard let her in.

The two girls had developed almost a code throughout the months and Lucy prepared herself for bad news. Keira had to admit she looked quite awful. She was pale and underfed. Her eyes bloodshot and the smell of dried blood was nauseating Keira herself was still sore and the cut in her hand was beginning to scar, but Lucy looked genuinely ill.

She took a deep breath. "Monroe wanted me to give," she began to say. The sound of footsteps barging in filled the hallway. As the girls looked though the open cell door, the guard crumbled to the ground. The sword in his chest was drawn back out as Miles Matheson appeared in the doorway. And that is where he stayed.

It took a few moments for Charlie to come up behind her uncle. She was about to ask him something when she saw the cause of Miles' distraction. In front of them stood two girls. Almost identical to the bone. They both had shocked looks on their faces as the surprising breakout had scared them both to death. "Lucy, meet your uncle Miles and cousin Charlie," the girl holding a toddler on her hip said.

**[[ Miles' perspective. ]]**

"Lucy, meet your uncle Miles and cousin Charlie," one of them says. At that moment I was certain we had been played before. The girl that had yelled at me, had barged into a rebel camp, and walked away without an explanation held a baby boy on her hip. The girl that sat in the corner responded to the name Lucy. She looked pale and worse than many of the other prisoners. I can't hide the fact that I know it's only because of me. The plot had broken into many pieces but it was finally fitting together again. Lucy must have been arrested a while ago by the looks of it, and Monroe had forced the girl that looked enough like her and could pass as my daughter, Keira, into the plan most likely by keeping the baby from her. There are a few slight bruises left on Keira's face and all I can do is stare. "Should we move?" Keira asked, realizing what we came here for.

I shoot her a glare. Her eyes move to the ground. "I'm sorry for lying, I had no choice," she whispers. Having no time for apologies right now, I turn and make sure the hallway is empty. Charlie reaches to help Lucy up. Her eyes shut for a moment as the force of standing and walking is almost too much already. Hopeless, but it needs to happen. I've made to many mistakes not to go through with this plan. And Nora will never forgive me if I don't try until death do us part. At that moment, she and Jason barge in at the end of the hall. Nora has a frantic look in her eyes. Most people will overlook it but I know her to well not to let this one slid.

"We need to get out of here, now!" she said. I keep my eyes on the path as I lean over and plant a quick kiss on her cheek. No matter the situation, I would do anything to get her out. Monroe wouldn't keep her alive for a minute. Shaking the feeling out of my head, we take off in a run. Nora and I sweep the corner as we lead to the nearest exit I know of. Jason takes up the rear as Charlie is busy half carrying Lucy. Gun shots fill the air. Guards drop here and there and others reload their guns. The circumstances aren't unfamiliar but being in such close quarters is presenting issues. "Miles, Jason, either of you have a plan?" Charlie asked, keeping her eye on Lucy and Keira.

It surprises me how easy the group is working. Keira offers the toddler a binky and secures the backpack tighter over her shoulder. Lucy has watery eyes and practically hangs of Charlie but they are mobile. Jason makes fast steps backwards, giving Charlie a protective glance once in a while. The moment we finally reach the outside, the cool air is a reward. My heart calms for a moment. It drops to the floor as a bell begins to chime in the distance. A warning. Monroe knows. Our escape is looking a bit more complicated by the second. "This way," I hear Nora say. I switch places with Jason and keep a close eye on the alleys. Ever since the Marine Corps I have been able to zone out the world during a fight. The only thing that matters is getting out alive. I can see the gate when footsteps are echoing through the nearby alleys. The guards drop as Jason and Nora take them out. Charlie, Lucy, and I are farther behind while Jason and Nora open the gate. I shoot Charlie a look and she sets a stronger pace. I ready myself to take a few more soldier lives as Charlie takes the baby from Keira. Why, I'm not sure. But then I notice how Keira looks like she is about to fall over.

"Miles! Just come on," Nora yells. Two shots leave my riffle before I turn towards to half open gate. Charlie and Nora are already outside and Keira isn't far behind them. Jason is about to take a hold of Lucy and help her through the gate.

Then, in the glow of the moon, I see him. Sebastian appears in one of the surrounding alleys. I have no time to react. He raises his pistol and aims. One shot is the distraction, the second one is fatal.

**[[ I hope you like the chapter. Please let me know what you think. ]]**


	10. Chapter 10

Georgia Walking chapter 10

**[[ 3****rd**** person perspective. ]]**

_He raises his pistol and aims. One shot is the distraction, the second one is fatal._

Her hand had been only a few inches from his. Within a second, it begins to fall further away from him. "NO!" Keira's voice pierces through the air. The scream is filled with enormous pain and grief. "No!" she yells again. The plea comes with instant tears as she is about to hurdle herself towards Lucy's fallen body. Jason has to use all his power to wrap his arms around her and hold her back as shots are still being fired. "Let… me… go!" she screams while frantically hitting Jason. Her feet leave the ground slightly as he pulls her towards the gate. Tears stream down her face when she gives up. Her hand reaches out somewhat when she screams Lucy's name one last time. Her eyes stay on Lucy's body as she lies on the cold pavement. There is nothing she can do but feel her heart breaking.

It has only been a split second since the shot was fired and Jason has to move fast to protect Keira from the soldiers still coming closer. It seemed as if the world had stood still for a moment. Sebastian might be a ruthless leader but murdering an innocent teen made the Militia soldiers stand and stare. Their weapons lowered an inch and some had blank stares, not knowing how to react. Jason takes the time to pull Keira the last few steps to the gate. He keeps her close when looking up at Miles. His reaction is indiscernible.

Miles turns his back without a second look. He passes Keira and Jason as he makes his way out of Philadelphia. His face was hard and not a single thing in the world could make him turn back and fight for what would possibly become the worst loss of his life. Monroe yelled something. However, Miles Matheson was already gone.

**[[ Keira's perspective. ]]**

I don't need a mirror to know my eyes are bloodshot. No one needs to tell me for me to figure out what everyone around me is thinking. The morning brought realization of the mess I had caused. Miles sits with his back turned on a fallen tree stump. My eyes fall to my feet as I can't get myself to look at him for longer than a second. I can feel the pain he has, losing the child he barely knew. But it's because of me that he feels even more separated from her. Charlie sits beside Jason.

"What are you thinking about?" she asks him as he appears to be lost in his own world.

Jason gave Charlie an adoring look before dropping it and showing the contemplation running through his head. "There is something that doesn't make sense. Monroe shot Lucy first. Not Miles. I mean it has an effect but still, why not just shoot Miles, he was an easier target as well." He paused for an instant. "Monroe sort of got what he wanted anyway. Without even touching him, he's destroying Miles more by the minute," his words were spoken softly. I turn to see Nora is still playing with Bo. After five hours of walking, we build camp. Introductions were made. The story as to why Bo had become part of my life wasn't asked for and I wouldn't really have answered it anyway.

Ripper comes to mind. The last time I saw him he ran off in a different direction. Since that moment I have lost hope of ever seeing him again as well. The image of Lucy's body lying in the dark creeps into my brain. "You know, he looks almost more like Lucy," Nora suddenly mentioned. My head shoots up. "Sorry, I was just joking. You know because you look so much alike," her laugh followed. She meant it in a good way and I can't help but smile quickly. Bo giggles as he doesn't mind being in the forest sun and being played with so much. Nora seems good with him. We all know that any minute now, Miles will tell us we have to leave. But for some reason, he doesn't move. Militia won't let this one go and soon Monroe will put Neville on our case if he doesn't hang him first. Letting me slip away so easily a few days ago, not getting his hands on Miles, and not being back in time to capture him within the walls of Philly will not go over well. Jason says something that begins to fade away. Then, the world slowly goes black.

My head spins as I shoot up straight in my bed. Bed… bed. I don't remember getting into a bed. Looking around the room there is nothing I recognize. The floor is cold on my bare feet but I move along the hallway anyway. Nothing comes to me except sitting in the woods with everyone. Then I notice I haven't seen a single other person in the building. It's not as dark as the prison but it might be one. The hallways spin lightly and I feel weak. What happened?

"Why don't you ask her? It seems they knew each other quite well," I hear someone say. I peer carefully around the corner and I see them all sitting in a sort of living room.

"Well look who decided to grace us with her presence," Jason greeted me. All eyes turned except for Miles'. It would probably take a while. They look at me as if they expect me to say something, so I asked the standard question of someone who is confused and ask what the hell happened.

Charlie responds first. "You just sort of blacked out. We got a horse and carriage and found this old cottage. We are trying to plan the next route," she informs. "You've been out for three days."

Three days? My thoughts get interrupted as I get smacked to the ground. I turn around to see Ripper licking my face and happily jumping up and down. "We found him in the woods. No idea how he got out but he's certainly helpful," Jason smiles.

We drink tea and talk about where we should be heading. The Plain's Nation is on the top of most people's list as Rachel and Aaron headed that way a few weeks ago. Ripper whines once in a while as he wants more attention than I give him. From the corner of my eye I can see Bo sleeping in a pile of blankets in the corner of the room. No matter how good everything seems at that precise point in time, something eats away at me.

There is no Militia guard to hear me. Monroe isn't around to ruin the plan. Nothing is keeping me from actually telling the truth. Images of the last night I remember fill my brain and cloud my eyes. Conflicting thoughts scatter all reasoning skills I still possess. It's time to tell them everything. I owe them an explanation and now is as good a time as any. Miles sits across from me in the room, slummed against an old sofa. He fiddles with something between his fingers. I recognize it. It's the photo I left behind for him at the old rebel's camp. As he stares at it there are tears forming in him eyes. I can't take it any longer. Clearing my throat gets everyone's attention. They deserve to know. They _need_ to know.

**[[ Sorry, the end is sort of filler. The next chapter might be the last one. ]]**


	11. Chapter 11

Georgia Walking chapter 11

**[[ This chapter is in 3****rd**** person. It is a flashback of about four years ago. ]]**

Moon light was the only thing that fought the utter darkness surrounding the bunk. Lucy still had watery eyes as the skin around the burn was beginning to blister. It had been a week since she was arrested and put in a Militia training camp. For Lucy, that was already too long. Being thirteen she was one of the youngest but there were a few others around her age. The night had brought little sleep. "Attention!" the commander screamed. A woman with blonde hair began to walk the lines. Her expression was different than most adults in the camp as it seemed she really didn't want to be there. She also wore no uniform as she looked the girls up and down. She comes closer and her eyes suddenly widen. Lucy feels a strong pull towards who might be her aunt. It's been too long and all she wants to do is hug her.

When she looks her in the eye however, Lucy stops. The moment her aunt Rachel sent her that look it was all over. Hope that was still a raging fire abruptly extinguished. Lucy realized she had been naïve. Maybe the stories about her merciless father were true after all.

Lucy spent two years in training camp. She mastered hand to hand combat and was the highest in her sword handling class. It was time to get out. The winter was just ending and he frozen lake nearby would soon melt. Hopefully it would still sustain an underfed fifteen year old. Breaking into the vault like room wasn't too hard. She found her old bag easily. It took time to search through the pile of valuables though. Her locket was somewhere in it and she wasn't going to leave without it.

"Jason, check the halls," a voice said sternly. Lucy knew captain Tom Neville was visiting. It had been perfect because most guards sat with him, drinking and talking loudly. She didn't have time to react when his son appeared in the doorway. He called. Neville showed up. Lucy was trapped.

The beating had taken about an hour. And as Tom Neville stepped out of the room to clean blood of his hands he turned to the girl slummed over in his chair. "It's a lovely locket," he said with a smirk.

A few days later she was successful. Scarred to death and not ready for the outside world, Lucy found herself helplessly wondering. Soon she met Ripper and began to live more like her training had taught her too. Making her way down to Georgia, she found herself growing up. She could negotiate for food, fight her way out of anything, and enjoy being free. Lucy didn't worry about anything for too long. People died once in a while; whether in cold blood or not. She didn't kill often herself, but she couldn't deny having left people behind. Her shell had become thick. Once in a while she would find that locked up place deep inside and turn to alcohol if possible. The next morning she would laugh at herself and wonder if it was a family trait after hearing many stories about Miles Matheson being a drunk.

Life was doable for the first year. As the winter of her sixteenth birthday came around, she found she needed a place to stay. She and Ripper were taken in by a farmer and his family. Working for her share of food and a bed to sleep in, she began to live a little more like a child and lost the sharp edges. Rough ones still remained. But the farmer always laughed and would say they suited her. She decided to stay and when the harvesting came around she was getting paid for the work. Spending long summer days with the farmer's son was a plus and sometimes she would find herself forgetting about Georgia. Then Ripper would walk past and his collar gleamed in the sun just a bit more than usual. The tiny key would shimmer in the warm sun and the feeling of going back overwhelmed her. Her hands would find the small compartment sowed into her backpack where a tiny family photo and a picture of a leather bound book were hidden.

"No one will know, you look old enough," Max, the farmer's son, had said on her seventeenth birthday. Not wanting to be a joy kill, Lucy had joined him in the bar. They had a few drinks, laughed and talked. A fight suddenly broke out. Accusations about Georgia spies were made, swords were drawn and things got hectic. Someone turned to Max and Lucy. Throughout the past two years she had kept things for herself and practiced in the barn or field alone. Ripper barked. Militia soldiers burst in the moment Lucy struck someone with her blade. She was underage and eye witnessed saw her. Max was never heard off, possibly executed. Once again, Lucy was arrested by the Militia of the Monroe Republic.

She was taken to Philly, which turned out to only be about two hours up the road, as she bore the Militia branding but no uniform. It was a serious offence to leave the Militia without an honourary discharge and unusual for a teen to succeed. But Lucy wouldn't let it go that easily. She killed four soldiers before multiple gun barrels stood on her head. Now there was no getting out of it. She was marched into the Philadelphia Justice building and dragged in front of Sebastian Monroe himself. "You bother me with penny thieves!" he had almost shouted. The guards began talking at once until Monroe slammed his fist on his desk.

"Sir, she was underage drinking, drew her sword on a man in the bar," the first guard began. The second one cut to the chase, "She killed four Militia soldiers by herself General. We suspect she was trained in the camps but escaped." This got Monroe's attention. He ordered the men to step out but not before checking her and her bag for weapons. Lucy began to curse her complete stupidity. In the rushed decision to go out with Max that night, she had stuffed the photos lose in her bag. There was nothing she could do. Monroe could see it right away; the family resemblance. Yet again, Lucy ended up in a bad place because of her dad.

Four weeks passed in her prison cell. Beaten, tortured, and starved, Lucy didn't say a word beside some rude comments and insulting observations. Every so often a guard would walk in and tie her to the chair that stood in the centre and she would force herself not to scream or beg for mercy. Not late after the day she had spat a mouthful of blood in Monroe's face, the door opened again. Lucy had to blink a few times, just like the girl in the doorway did. "Meet Keira," Monroe spoke with a smug but angered tone. She was forced into the chair opposite of Lucy. Her eyes pleaded for help. All Lucy did was shoot daggers at Sebastian. Blood curdling screams escaped the teenage that looked identical to Lucy; accept for the bruises and cuts. But she didn't break.

For three weeks she was dragged in and out of that chair. The stains of blood remain every time and burned Lucy's nostrils. Monroe would only show up half the time and always left with more anger as he got nowhere. This time he came along. Like always Keira was seated across from Lucy. "Lucy Matheson. We both know you hate him anyway. What's so bad about telling me a bit about him?"

"You probably know him better than I do. And even if I hate him, I dislike you a whole lot less. Plus, I don't take orders," Lucy spoke with an eye roll. That got her a slap across the face. Crying suddenly filled the room. She wiped her head around to where a guard was holding a bundle of blankets.

"So Keira has something she would like you to know. If you don't cooperate, Keira would be leaving this poor, one month old, baby boy behind in such a harsh world," ironic pity filled his voice. This was the last straw. The innocence of a child and the freedom to at least grow up was one that Lucy would never take away from anyone. She gave in. "All I want is personal information about your father. Keira here will go find him, and when she does, she needs to make sure he sees his daughter. Not a stranger. How would she gain his trust Lucy?"

Her eyes locked on Monroe. "Leave. I'll tell her what she needs to know but not you," she replied stubbornly. Over the next seven months they got to know each other.

Keira had been through a rough time and was turned away by many for being pregnant at sixteen. She was a few months younger than Lucy and a bit shorter. She didn't speak much of her past, but shared what she hoped the future would be. Also her current situation. Being assigned a room in the Monroe mansion wasn't as luxurious as it sounded. She was often called by Monroe and all he did was talk. Keira knew his secrets, but out of fear of someone listening, never told any of them. She would rand on about how beautiful the garden was. Then turn and apologize for Lucy's situation. Separately, they still got sense knocked into them once in a while.

Lucy would talk about Miles, their past, turning points that would be important. After about four months they knew each other too well and felt a bond growing. Keira would bring Bo along and they would forget about being prisoners for a while. One day, Lucy noticed something off about her. "Are you alright?"

"I couldn't afford a hospital. And I think something went wrong because I get tired, I can't keep food down these days. Lucy, I don't think I'll make it very much longer," she suddenly confessed. Lucy's eyes widened. She shook her head in disbelieve. "Monroe is planning to send me out to go looking for Miles. I can barely ride, let alone do any of this."

"Ask him for a doctor. You're important, unlike me now that you know everything."

"I want to make a deal. You go find Miles; do whatever Monroe asks of you. Than you come back, save yourself," she said. Lucy was about to object. She wasn't sure if she was hearing this all right as Keira had been talking in a mere whisper. For the first time, Keira became stubborn. She would refuse to take no as answer. "As long as you promise to take care of Bo," she finished.


	12. Chapter 12

Georgia Walking chapter 12

**[[ 3****rd**** person perspective. ]]**

The words had spilled out. Everyone had their eyes on the girl in the doorway. "So we switched. This was also better because Keira couldn't take another hit but I could. After a week or so Monroe send me off. I saw you a few times but always returned. There was a time I overheard Charlie mentioning Danny, so I decided to try and wait until you got him back. Or if I were able to come up with a good escape for all three of us. But he started to get impatient and Bo got sick. If I didn't do it soon he would have let him die and I couldn't do that Keira. I never wanted any of you to be involved," she paused.

"After all this, I still failed," she whispered. No one knew how to respond. It was obvious she meant Keira's passing. Since the night they had escaped, Lucy hadn't spoken about the death, neither had she cried over it again. Charlie could tell she was hurt. Charlie was slightly confused herself but had no trouble realizing that the one and only Lucy Matheson stood in before them. She always had. Everything she had told Miles the first time had come from her. Maybe partly an act, but they were most likely the words she had thought about telling him for years.

**[[ Miles' perspective. ]]**

It was too much. First I heard about Monroe taking Danny and Ben being murdered in the process. I started to care about Charlie and almost got her killed on multiple occasions. I find out Rachel is alive and Bass tries to kill me. Danny passes away. I have practically made Charlie into a soldier. And even the thought of Nora getting hurt makes me go crazy. I have no idea how to grasp the fact that Bass is the reason for it all.

For a moment I thought I would get to apologize to Lucy as she sat in the dark cell. I thought I once again knew her. The next thing I see is Monroe releasing the trigger. The fact that she is really still able to stand in the same room is something I can't comprehend. Her eyes are watery and she looks desperate for something I don't think I can offer her. Without saying anything I stand and walk out the door. My name is said in a faint voice. Not even Nora can make the confusion disappear.

**[[ 3****rd**** person perspective. ]]**

Hours pass before Miles hears footsteps coming up behind him. He doesn't turn until the figure sits down by his side. "Dad?" Lucy's voice is careful. He says nothing. Just pulls her into a hug. He holds his daughter tight while she wraps her own arms around him. Miles pulled away so he could look her in the eyes.

He shook his head. "I've made many mistakes and I can't fix any of them. But I want you to know that I wish I could." He disappeared in thought for a moment. The fact that she had called him _dad _made the rescue already worth it for him. The regret was bigger than he imaged. For years he was able to drink away the idea of his little girl being buried in the ground. Once in a while he would forget as the world went on. But the memory of that late starry night of so long ago would always sneak back into his mind eventually. It would begin to trigger the emotions he kept hidden. Soon it would go back to Miles, and for once he didn't mind. She had meant it this time and had voluntarily come after him. Not forgiven, but at least on speaking terms. For now, sitting side by side was enough for him. "You really have grown up." A quick smile spread over Lucy's face. There were many things still broken between the pair but at least important ones were in repairing stages. They sat side by side for a while until Miles motioned to the left over scars. "None of this would have happened if I had just killed Monroe," a deep sigh of regret escaped him. Lucy noticed he looked drained. Physically and mentally. It was strange for her to see her father that way as he had always been strong. Lucy didn't know how to respond and Miles was already somewhere else with his head. "I know I can't really ask this of you but… I was wondering if we could break the lock on the album." His eyes fall on the soil in front of him. "The photos mean a lot to me as well and the key isn't that important is it?"

Lucy remembered that was the last thing she hadn't really cleared up yet. "That day Neville took my locket, I was actually able to snatch the key out," she admits. She whistles and Ripper appears from the bushes surrounding them. His tongue sticks out and his tail wags happily back and forth. In the midday sun, the tiny key glimmers as it has for years now. Still secured to Ripper's collar, Lucy points it out. "When I was ten, I got really sick. So mom took me to the hospital in New York. But the treatment and operations were expensive. She walked all the way to Georgia because she swore grandpa had buried thousands in the floorboards over the years. When she finally returned, she wasn't sure if I would still be alive so she had left many things back in Georgia. Just in case she was ever taken by Militia or bandits, the photo album wouldn't give us away." She made sure Miles was following.

"She brought back the key so one day I would be able to find the book and have evidence that it belonged to me. That's why I've been trying to head to Georgia all these years." Lucy knew he was wondering about the book Charlie had seen, and the photo he had been holding close for the last few days. "When Monroe found the photo, he also found the one of the book. Mom had given them both as reminders. Sebastian ordered the best leather craftsman in the region to make a book that looked exactly like it to help convince you. I don't actually have it," she finished. Her tone had dropped as it was all she had ever really tried to fight for all these years. She knew some of the photos in that album and if her last day would arrive, she had prayed to get the see them one more time before that.

Miles had almost a hurt expression on his face. He understood. It was part of basic Militia undercover work. Every detail was important and nothing was overlooked. Though he hadn't expected Bass to go so far. He had known Jane well himself and seemed to like her. Things were falling apart and falling into places in such a strange mixture that Miles couldn't rap his head around it all.

In Lucy's case, she was content with just having it being over. Of course the scars and memories remained. But they would heal, and yelling at Miles seemed to help once in a while. It was hard to forget the years of neglection but she was willing to try. After all, he hadn't known she was really his daughter until this very moment and he had still fought his way through the headquarters of Sebastian Monroe's life and prison to come to her rescue. There was a change in both of them. And neither one objected to a silent fresh start. So once again they sat in peace, starring into the daze of the afternoon.


	13. Chapter 13

Georgia Walking chapter 13

**[[ This chapter is in 3****rd**** person. Hope you enjoy. ]]**

"We have to go help. Who knows what's going on there," Charlie tried again. It had been a while since they had started to talk about where they are going. Most agreed with her. No one mentioned any other idea, but Miles could feel Lucy considering different options.

His face was soft as he spoke to her, "What are you thinking Lucy?" She pulled herself out of her thoughts. She had never really known where she belonged but having these people look at her the way they did already meant the world to her. Confusion and the feeling she was intruding rushed through her veins.

Her eyes found the pile of blankets just beyond the door way. "I promised. But he'll only be a burden. No one has said it but it's obvious that a toddler will get in the way when fighting Militia. And if what I hear, you have some pretty big plans involving many parties wanting your heads on sticks."

Charlie spoke first. "Are you not coming?"

"I won't let Roger spoil the island," she said. It was mostly to herself and the rest was quite confused. Only Miles seemed amused by the Lord of the Flies reference. Even though he had hated the book himself, Lucy couldn't get enough of it after Danny had given it to her a long time ago. "Bo will be better off without me. There is one thing I have to do." Nora let her hand fall over Lucy's. Rain had begun to fall on the roof of the old house. Here and there, drops landed on the floor around them. Bo woke as water splashed on his cheek. Miles was the first one up. He made his way over and gently took the child in his arms. Finding a dry spot in the room, he sat down and rocked him back and forth. A soft lullaby filled the air. The tune began to tuck at Lucy's memory. A smile appeared on her face.

Miles once again muttered how dangerous it was. He was on his knees hidden behind a rusting combine. The wheat in the field was growing tall and only part of the field was being harvested for now. Lucy took Bo from Nora and started towards the farmhouse. She looked back and made sure Miles was watching as she positioned a hand gun in her belt, in the small of her back. He offered her a smile before starting to move towards Jason and Charlie to keep an eye on the situation. The rain storm from the previous day had made the ground damp and caused the smell in the air to hang longer than it normally would. Miles felt uneasy being close to Philly yet again. They were pushing their boundaries. Everyone knew it but they also knew Lucy wouldn't take no for an answer. Technically they were there ones pulling Lucy into their mess and making a small trip back towards the headquarters of the Militia was a small price to pay.

Lucy didn't have to knock on the door. Or rather, she couldn't. She had recognised him from a few yards away. His muscles covered in sweat drops gleamed in the high standing sun. The floppy curls fell into his face and covered his light eyes. The blonde headed boy turned and looked up when he felt eyes on him. There was a moment where he just stood, watching. He tilted his head slightly in a way that Lucy could tell he was weighing the odds. "Hi Jonah," she spoke.

The nineteen year old had to take a second to fully put everything together in his mind. "Lucy?" he asked dumbfounded. All she could do was nod in response. There was a change in the way he carried himself al of the sudden. He walked over in large strides and threw his arms around her. "I can't believe it. We thought you were dead," he exclaimed. Lucy couldn't help but love the warm welcome. She hadn't expected them to turn her away but she didn't think Jonah would respond this well. Maybe just a bit too well.

"I have a very important question for your parents. Are they around?" she asked.

"Um, Dad passed away last winter. Mom hasn't left the house much. She blames herself and… well she lost a child in the process. Now that Dad's gone, she feels she has nothing left of him," he admitted. Lucy bore a confused expression.

"I'm so sorry. He really was a great man. Like a father to me. What about you, how are you dealing with all of this?" She motioned around to the field and the harvest. She knows like no other how much more goes in to harvesting a field without hard working employees. As they made their way towards the farmhouse, they engaged in small talk. The subject of what had happened to either of them the unfortunate night in the local bar was avoided. It surprised Lucy that he hadn't asked about the boy she carried. Until the thought jumped into her head. It was like he had read her mind.

Johan smiled at the toddler. "And who is this?" he sounded genuinely interested.

"He's actually why I'm here," Lucy admitted. They stepped into the house. It was the same as she remembered. Open and inviting. On the right was the dining room where on the second chair, closest to the window, she had eaten dinner for almost two years. The stairway was in the centre of the house and lead to the upstairs where Lucy spend the least amount of time. There hadn't been much down time and otherwise she would be in the barn, the stables or reading in the living room. From the kitchen, a familiar voice came.

The voice might have been familiar to the ear but Sophia looked nothing like herself. Her hair was thin, her skin pale and she weighed at least thirty pounds less than she did when Lucy had last seen her. From her, there was no recognition. No warm greeting came her way. She gave her son a look but that was it. "What do you mean?" Jonah asked, responding only now to the last thing Lucy had said.

"There aren't many details you want to hear, but nothing has been going very well since the day I was picked up by Militia. And there is no way I can put him in harm's way. I was hoping you could give him a home, just as your family did for me." Her eyes dropped to the floor. She had always hated that tendency as it gave away her discomfort. A loss of words was where she found herself. For two years she told this boy everything, and she could insult and make smug remarks to the leading General of the Militia. Standing in the mansion of the most hostile person in the Republic seemed nothing compared to the countryside homestead. There was nothing left to say. Lucy put her backpack down. Slightly forceful, she handed Jonah the baby boy.

Jonah knew this might be good for his mother. They had enough food and if Lucy's future was anything like her past, there was no other option. The one thing Lucy had never told him was that she was a Matheson. Or rather THE Matheson in many occasions. Lucy planted a soft kiss on Bo's head, then one on Jonah's cheek. "I'll never forget what you did for me," she sighed. Leaving the boy behind felt like a betrayal to Keira, but she knew it had to happen. It was the one place in the world she knew was safe. No matter what happened, it was a place she had never spoken of to anyone.

As she stepped towards the front door, Jonah said her name. She glanced back at the pair. "What's his name?"

Lucy was about to say Bo, or perhaps add Matheson to it. There was the need for protection and truth. Keira had given her son a name. Monroe was full aware what it was and Lucy knows how hard it is to shake something as profound as a name for identification. The gap between her and two boys she loved became larger. Every step was a step closer to losing them forever. It had been almost two years and she had fallen for the farmer's son. It had only taken seven months to care for Bo like he was her own. She forced herself father away. To let go of the things she wanted so badly. Tears began to form in the back of her eyes as she saw Jonah's longing face. Her hand twisted the rusting doorknob. She moved her back towards them in the open doorway. With a final breath she answered the question. "Matthew Fletcher."

It wasn't over. As long as the Matheson family wasn't dead or Monroe still stood in power, noting was over. But that's what it felt like for Lucy as she walked away from the house. Her hands found the comfort of running her palms along the long wheat grains. She closed her eyes and let the world slip away for an instant. The grains were soon replaced with thick fur. She opened her eyes and saw Ripper. Charlie appeared beside her soon after. In the distance the rest appeared as well. Miles held out a new backpack. It didn't have cloth diapers in it, or bottles, powered milk, or a soft woven blanket.

Step by step, they moved towards the Plains Nation. "Lucy," Miles said after a while. He walked in the back and Lucy paused until he caught up. They fell behind slightly until they were out of earshot of the others. She was concentrated on Jason's hand for a moment. It reached out and took Charlie's. His fingers rapped around hers. Nora kicked a pebble ahead of her and Ripper chased it immediately. With her eyes still ahead, Miles continued. "One day. I promise to you that one day we will walk to Georgia. Visit you're grandfather's house and find your mother's album. No matter how long it takes, we will walk to Georgia."

Hearing him say that was closure Lucy had wanted for a long time. There was always a voice in the back of her head that said she couldn't do it on her own. Now there was Miles. He smiled at her. Meaning it, she smiled back at him. Her promise to Keira would last now that Bo was with Jonah. She had a family that had already showed they would risk their lives for her. Lucy might not have any idea about the Tower, or what Rachel and Aaron had gotten themselves into in the meantime. However, she had learned to just go with what life threw her way. She had no idea what she was walking into, then again, she never really had. With her hand lingering above her sword, and a gun loaded and set, she was ready for the upcoming journey. "I'll keep you to that Miles," she responded.

THE END

**[[ I want to thank everyone who read my entire story. It means a lot to know it already had 2000 views, which is way beyond my goal. Let me know what you think about it. And if I should do more Revolution stories. Thanks again for reading ** :**) ]]**


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